This invention relates to automobile repair accessories and, more particularly, to clamps for use in providing an anchor or pulling point when straightening a structural component of an automobile such as the frame or body thereof.
When repairing a structural component of a damaged automobile, such as the frame or body thereof, or both in the case of unibody automobiles, it is common to use a power-pull system in which select portions of the automobile are anchored by attachment to respective chains extending to tie-down points on the ground. A clamp is attached to an anchor or pulling point on the structural component and coupled to a hydraulic pulley using a chain. The pulley applies a pulling force to the anchor point which serves to straighten the structural component.
Conventional automobile repair clamps used in the system have clamp bodies comprising a pair of unitary clamping jaws which may be cantilevered about a pivot joint to bring gripping portions of the clamping jaws together in gripping engagement with the anchor point on the structural component. Both the pivot joint and the gripping portions are frequently fixed in position relative to the clamp body as a whole. A fixed pivot joint may prevent the gripping portions of the clamping jaws from being mounted to the desired anchor point as the pivot joint may come in contact with nearby obstructions. Fixing gripping portions relative to the clamping jaws means that the clamps are often attachable to a structural component in only one of a few positions. Thus, it may not be possible to align the body of the clamp with the direction of pull while achieving the needed grip on the structural component. Improper alignment of the clamp body may cause the structural component to warp during pulling, thereby creating secondary damage.
Other disadvantages of prior art repair clamps are that they often can only be used to pull portions of a vehicle body in one dimension or plane. However, due to the nature and extent of the damage, it may be desirable to pull a vehicle portion in different dimensions. Furthermore, they tend to have gripping portions which are of a predetermined shape and size and therefore may not be suitable for gripping certain areas of the structural component.
Consequently, different shaped and sized clamps must be used depending on the configuration of the anchor point and its immediate surrounding environment. An autobody repairman must therefore have a large variety of clamps at his disposal which can prove expensive and space-consuming.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved automobile repair clamp which overcome the above disadvantages.
This invention provides an automobile repair clamp for clamping onto an anchor point on a damaged structural component of an automobile. The clamp is adapted to be coupled to a pulling device for pulling the anchor point to straighten the structural component. The clamp includes a pair of clamping jaws movable together into a clamping position and apart to respectively grip and release the anchor point. Also included is a locking mechanism coupled to the clamping jaws for selectively locking the jaws in the clamping position. The clamping jaws each include a rotatable gripper for gripping the anchor point and permitting adjustment of the angle of the clamping jaws in a first plane relative to the structural component to allow the clamp to be aligned with the direction of pull by the pulling device.
The grippers may be removable and interchangeable with other grippers of different shapes and sizes, and selected to ensure that a proper grip is achieved on the anchor point. Also, the distance between the gripping surface of each gripper and the corresponding clamping jaw may be adjustable to accommodate anchor points of varying thicknesses.
Each clamping jaw may have opposite first and second end portions connected by a bridge with the grippers being disposed in the first end portions. The locking mechanism may include an adjustable pivot assembly including a pivot member secured to the bridges in one of a selected number of positions, and a biasing assembly disposed in the second end portions for biasing the second end portions apart to exert a force about the pivot member and to leverage the first end portions and grippers together into the clamping position.
The clamp may include a connector rotatably coupled to the clamping jaws for connecting the clamp to the pulling device and permitting the clamp to be oriented in one of a number of angular positions within the first plane relative to the structural component. Alternatively, or additionally, the clamp may include a bracket removably attached to one of the clamping jaws for pivotally retaining a connector useful in coupling the clamp to a pulling device for pulling the clamp in a second plane generally perpendicular to the first plane.
Clamps according to the present invention have several advantages. First, the rotatable grippers permit alignment of the clamp with the direction of pull to avoid or minimize secondary damage during the repair process. Second, because the grippers are interchangeable and come in different shapes, and sizes, and have different gripping surfaces, a repairman can select the proper grippers to suit the job. As compared to having to have a variety of different clamps on hand, this results in space savings and reduced costs. Third, clamps having adjustable pivot assemblies may be mounted over or past obstructions since the pivot members of the assemblies may be shifted to avoid contact with the obstructions. Fourth, the clamps can be used to pull an anchor point in two planes which increases dramatically the number of directions in which the automobile structural component may be pulled.